A book can open a door to learning, imagination, confidence and possibility. But for many students, access to the right books starts at school.

A recent feature from Minnesota Culture Guide highlights how Marine Toys for Tots and Scholastic are expanding access to books through their partnership, including a collaboration with Kids In Need Foundation that has supported 3,800 teachers with more than 4,000 educational resources, including 2,100 books and 1,921 teacher supplies.

Our 2026 Teacher Insight Survey shows just how important this access is. Three out of four educators told us that most of their students rely on school to access reading-level-appropriate books.

That is why access to books is an important part of how we support teachers.

At our Teacher Resource Center in Little Canada, qualifying teachers can shop for classroom supplies and resources at no cost, including a rotating selection of new and gently used books.

For a teacher, a book is another tool to engage students and create meaningful learning experiences at school and at home. For a student, it can be a doorway to a new idea, a new perspective or a lifelong love of reading.

Partnerships like the one between Toys for Tots Literacy Program, Scholastic and KINF help expand those opportunities, putting books and other educational resources directly into the hands of educators who are using them to help students learn, grow and thrive.

We’re grateful to our partners for helping us ensure teachers have the resources they need to create classrooms where every student has the opportunity to discover what’s possible.

Read the full story from Minnesota Culture Guide and explore more insights from our 2026 Teacher Insight Survey: 2026 Teacher Insight Survey

Join the Mission

Every day, teachers show up for their students with passion, creativity, and dedication—but too many of them are doing it without the supplies they need to create the learning environments their students deserve. No teacher should have to choose between giving their students the best education possible and paying out of pocket for basic classroom materials.

You can help change that!